Russell Martin was rolled out in public in Toronto on Thursday for the first time since agreeing to a landmark five-year, $82-million (U.S.) contract.The Canadian Press
The Toronto Blue Jays were single-minded in their pursuit of free agent catcher Russell Martin, to the point where all their other off-season business was shunted to one side to make their dream signing a reality.
There were countless telephone calls between the Blue Jays and Martin and his representatives.
There were endless background checks to determine the 31-year-old's strength of character.
And there were a couple of face-to-face meetings with Blue Jays general manager Alex Anthopoulos and team president Paul Beeston, including one about two weeks ago in that most Canadian of all settings – the coffee shop – that played a role in helping the Blue Jays land their big catch.
The Toronto-born and Chelsea, Que.-raised athlete was rolled out in public in Toronto on Thursday for the first time since agreeing to a landmark five-year, $82-million (U.S.) contract to play for Canada's only major-league baseball franchise.
"I think it's a game changer for us, for the franchise, for the organization, for the team," Anthopoulos said.
"And I think obviously it's a real important piece to get this team to where we want to go, which is the playoffs and ultimately to win the World Series."
According to the personable Martin, Anthopoulos was an aggressive suitor.
"Alex was convinced that I was going to be a Blue Jay, and he was convinced early on, too," Martin said about the free-agent courtship that began almost immediately when MLB teams were free to start negotiations with free agents on Nov. 4.
Martin said that the loquacious GM went as far as to say that "the stars almost aligned" to bring the athlete and the Blue Jays together.
"But obviously all that's talk and he came forth and offered a great deal," Martin said.
He added that coming back to play made sense for himself and his family.
Martin is involved in renovating a condominium in the Montreal area.
He recalled a meeting that took place on Nov. 9 between himself, Anthopoulos and Beeston in a coffee shop nearby to where he was staying.
It was a quick meeting, Martin said.
As they were getting up to leave, Martin said he caught the eye of an elderly woman who was also in the coffee shop, an obvious baseball fan who recognized Martin and had figured out what the meeting was all about.
Martin said the woman smiled and then counselled him.
"You need to sign with the Blue Jays," Martin said the woman told him. "And I'm like, all right, all right, that sounds good."
Martin recalled that Beeston was almost beside himself with what had transpired, saying he couldn't have planned it any better.
There is no doubt in the mind of Anthopoulos that Martin will help put a Toronto team that challenged for the American League East for a couple of months over the course of last season only to fade badly down the stretch a step closer to the playoffs in 2015.
And it was the reason why over the weekend he raised the ante, offering Martin a five-year deal when other interested parties, mainly the Chicago Cubs, were offering no more than four. That is what it took for Martin to say yes to the Blue Jays.
"Total package as far as I'm concerned," Anthopoulos said. "There are no holes in his game. It's rare that you have that, it's rare that that opportunity does present itself and that's why we were very aggressive in going after him."
Dioner Navarro was Toronto's No. 1 catcher in 2014 and while he enjoyed a solid season he is not in the same league as Martin, a three-time all-star during his nine-year major-league career.
Anthopoulos said that Navarro still wants to be an everyday catcher but understands that won't happen next season in Toronto with Martin's arrival. The GM said there is a good possibility that Navarro could be traded.
Martin is coming off an impressive season in Pittsburgh with the Pirates where he ranked fourth in the majors with a .402 on-base percentage, hitting .290 while proving to be a formidable presence behind the plate where he is regarded as an astute game-caller and solid defensively.
And all Martin has done since he's been in the majors is win, his teams making the postseason in seven of his past nine years in the league.
Anthopoulos said he is by no means finished trying to improve a team that requires strengthening in the bullpen, not to mention perhaps another proved outfielder in the likelihood that free agent Melky Cabrera signs with another team.